Feelings Under Construction

CHAPTER 2: Miss Viral Herself

Maya parked in front of Jared's mansion. Her legs felt weak as she stepped out of the car.

The mansion stood tall and white, with big windows. Everything about it screamed money. But it didn’t feel warm anymore.

Before she could knock, the heavy front door opened.

Delilah stood there, dressed perfectly as always. Her red hair gleamed, and her icy blue eyes looked Maya up and down with a smirk.

“Well, well,” Delilah said sweetly, “Look who finally showed up. Miss Viral herself.”

Heat rushed up Maya’s neck. Her heart pounded. She tried to sound calm. “What are you doing here, Delilah?”

Delilah gave out a light mocking laugh. She leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms. “Why not, sweetheart? You and Jared aren’t married yet. So, technically, I’m not breaking any rules.”

Before Maya could respond, a door slammed inside the house. Jared stormed out. His face was hard with anger. His suit stretched tight across his chest, like it could barely contain him. His hair was neat, but his grey eyes burned with fury. He didn’t even glance at Delilah.

“What the hell was that video, Maya?” Jared growled, aggressively striding towards Maya.

Maya’s stomach turned. “You saw it, didn’t you?” she asked quietly. “What does it look like?”

He stepped closer, fists clenched. “What does it look like? You were drunk, stripping, and dancing like some cheap club girl. You embarrassed me!”

Maya’s voice shook, but she forced herself to speak. “It was our company’s party. I wasn’t trying to embarrass anyone.”

“Oh, you throw parties now? Take your clothes off for fun?” Jared’s voice was loud and cruel.

Tears filled Maya’s eyes, but she blinked fast. She wouldn’t cry, not in front of them.

She thought about yesterday, catching him with Delilah. The pain hit her all over again.

“And where were you last night, Jared?” she snapped. “weren’t you with her? You forgot you had a fiancée?”

Jared’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you change the subject Maya, Damnit!”

"I will!" Maya shouted. "Because while you were wrapped around your ex who, by the way, left you years ago, I was just trying to forget for one night how much you’ve changed!"

Delilah let out a small laugh behind them. "You two are cute. But if she really loved you, Jared, she'd respect herself and not act like a cheap backup dancer.”

“Oh, please.” Maya laughed bitterly. “You do what you want, hurt who you want, and I’m supposed to act perfect Jared?”

“I told you,” Jared said coldly, “Delilah left because her mom persuaded her. It wasn’t her choice.” he said giving Delilah a quick soft glance.

Then he looked back at Maya, cold again. “Now that she’s back, what am I supposed to do?”

“What kind of sick joke is this Jared?” Maya fired back. “Ok now that she is back, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? Huh? Pack my stuff and leave you both to continue where you left off 3 years ago?”

Jared raised his hands in frustration but his words stuck in his throat.

Maya felt betrayed by his silence, her chest felt too tight to breath.

“Who was the guy that brought you home last night, Maya?” Jared asked, his eyes shut tightly and his fingers squeezing his forehead.

“You say I cheated, but then you show up drunk with another guy?” “Maya…” he said, calmly approaching her, “You humiliated yourself.”

“He didn't touch me, Jared!” Maya roared.

“Yes?” Jared fired back “How are you so sure? How are you so sure when you were wasted?”

He let the words hang in the air.

Then he added, “This relationship… this engagement…whatever you call it, I think we both need to take a f*cking break.” Jared said, nodding his head.

Delilah finally stepped in, brushing off Jared’s suit like she owned him.

“Maya, sweetie,” she said with fake concern, “If you wanted to keep Jared, you shouldn't have gone around disgracing yourself in public don't you think?”

“The CEO of Miller Atelier can't go about hanging out with a woman that has no shame, he has a reputation to protect, remember?” Delilah added, giving Jared a kiss on his right cheek.

“Stay out of this babe” Jared responded, pushing her hands off his face.

“Babe?” Maya scuffs hard. “You call her babe? Right in front of me?” Maya blinked back tears, her face red.

“Come on babe!” Delilah pushed, “when will you ever tell her?” She asked, staring into Maya's eyes, waiting for her words to break her.

“Tell me what?” Maya asked, her red and teary eyes now fixed on Jared as he shut his eyes, trying to force words that couldn't come out.

She watched everything and couldn’t hold back anymore. The tears came fast and hot, but she wouldn’t let them see her break.

She wiped her face and stood tall. “Move aside. I’m getting my stuff.”

Jared's eyes widened. “Where are you going?”

She didn’t answer. She walked past him, into the house, grabbed her small box from under the coffee table, and started tossing in a few things roughly, her favorite mug, a photo album, her clothes from the hanger and the car design book she was reading.

She quickly dragged the box and stormed out.

“Maya, wait!” Jared called after her.

Delilah grabbed his arm. “Come on babe, can you stop embarrassing me? Let her go already.”

Maya didn’t look back. She walked straight out, into the sunlight, and got into her car. She dragged her box inside and shut the door hard, then her head dropped onto the steering wheel.

The sobs burst out uncontrollably, and she couldn't hold back her tears. She cried until her whole body shook, the space in her car felt like it was suffocating her.

Every forehead kiss, every promise, every time Jared held her like she was glass, every memory now gave her a jarring slap of embarrassment.

Her ringtone suddenly blared and disrupted her little peace. It was Mr. Sebastian, the CEO of Everhart Rides where she works.

She slid her shaky finger across her phone screen, her voice tinier than a whisper. “Mr. Sebastian?” she answered, waiting for him to unleash.

“What exactly is wrong with you, Maya? I am utterly disappointed in your actions. What is that video you're circulating for the public?” Mr. Sebastian’s voice hit her like breaking glass.

“Do you understand how your actions affect our company’s image? "This is Everhart establishment, not some nightclub!” he roared.

Maya could hear his heavy, angry breaths through the phone.

She blinked to hold back her tears, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Mr. Sebastian, please… I know it looks bad, but… I never intended for any of that to happen. I’m a very dedicated worker at the company, and I just...”

“There are always better designers out there, Maya, don't feed me your dedicated worker bullshit!” he said, cutting Maya off from her speech.

“It is a privilege for you to have this job. You're aware that so many people desire your position. I can’t have someone with reckless behavior in the team. I’d rather bring in someone who respects our brand image.”

Maya stayed silent, tears welling down her eyes. All she could hear was the humming sound of her car air conditioner.

The words "better designers" and "reckless behavior" registered in her mind, crushing the little professional confidence she had left.

Then her tiny voice came through, "But… Mr. Sebastian, the Driftor 3.0 project,” she pleaded, with desperation in her voice.

“I’ve been working my ass off on it. You can’t just fire me mid-project, Sir? You promised me a raise if that project did well. My life really depends on that right now, Please…”

Maya held her breath, her eyes still wet, desperately waiting for him to decide her fate.

Mr Sebastian stayed silent for a few seconds.

“Look, Maya. Driftor 3.0 is a super important project for the company. If you put in your absolute best, and it pulls through, I’ll give you that raise as promised,” he said, maintaining a firm tone.

“But if it fails… that will be very disappointing, Maya. And I won’t hesitate to replace you. You can’t afford to be reckless and incompetent at the same time. This is your one chance to prove you’re still valuable to Everhart, and I hope you understand that for your own sake?”

Before Maya could say “Yes, sir. I understand,” He hung up without another word.

Maya just sat there in silence, the weight of his ultimatum crashing down on her. Her chest feeling heavy, like a stone.

She clutched the steering wheel so hard, her eyes shut tightly as tears coursed down her cheeks, she shook her head wondering how to go back home to stay alone, her mum had died 5 years ago, leaving her with an almost wrecked house she couldn't afford to renovate.

“I can't go back to that house,” she said, her voice cracking.

“You will regret this Jared.” She said, her tone cracking with so much cry. “You will regret ever trashing me the way you did”

She sniffed hard then crashed into the driver's seat, her eyes still blurred with tears, she looked out through the window, thoughts about going back to her house haunted her, but she had no choice.

She remembered everything: five years ago, how she had loved him when Delilah shattered him, how she had loved him even when his heart was still clinging to the woman that ruined him.

And the moment that same woman snapped her fingers, he jumped back, without a second thought.

Her chest twisted, every thought about her cute moments with Jared, gave her a sudden flush of regret and embarrassment.

“Is this just how it goes for me?” she thought bitterly, staring out at the blurred world through tear-filled eyes.

Am I always the one people toss aside? Never the main. Always the backup. She wasn't crying for him anymore. Not for Jared.

The embarrassment, the sudden emptiness inside her. For the realization that she would give so much, only to be deemed disposable.

She sniffed hard, then picked up the diary in her car pigeon hole. She had roughly scribbled the list of everything she needed to do in order to launch her own brand.

But it dawned on her that everything on that list required good amount of money to accomplish,

She sniffed, wiping leftover tears off her right cheek, locking her eyes on the list, “I really need to make that raise, I'm done procrastinating.”

She had procrastinated for too long, indulged in a fantasy life that wasn't real.

She lifted her head from the steering wheel, her eyes still wet, but a new thought quickly scratched her mind.

Jared's words, “you showed up drunk with a new guy.”

She quickly sat up, her forehead furrowed in deep wonder as her mind shifted to Gray.

Did we do anything weird that night?